Deep Dive
by Heartless Riku
Summary: Will the World of Darkness be locked away forever?
1. Confused

Deep DivebrbrChapter 1: ConfusedbrbrIt was dark today...just like every other day. It was raining and I could hear the constant boom of thunder. I felt the raindrops crashing down on my cloak. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened on Destiny Island. I sat down near one of Midgar's towering buildings and leaned my head back. I've been running from the Heartless ever since it happened...brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbr[Flashback]brbrCome on Riku!No! I'll stay and fight. You go.We go together!Just go!brbrI didn't know what to do but I knew he wasn't going to leave. I ran as fast as I could. I didn't want to just leave Riku to fight the Heartless by himself. I turned around to see what was happening. The number of Heartless just kept on growing and growing. I saw Riku still trying to fight them. He was getting tired. I saw him using a weapon I've never seen before. It looked like.. a key? He always used to talk about his weapon, Oblivion. I didn't know what it was and I've never seen it till now. He was fighting and fighting. We've trained since we were little. All the sudden.it happened. The Heartless covered Riku like a swarm of locusts. I had to help him.brbrNo! Go Khanh! Leave me!brbrI hesitated to run. I didn't know what to do. Damn it I couldn't just leave him here!brbrbrbrI knew it was too late. By the time I tried to yell back he was already gone.brbr[Flashback ended]brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbrI escaped from Destiny Island and made it here to Midgar. This city was so huge. I couldn't believe it was empty. I don't know what happened to it. It was always quiet around. I don't really know why I came here. I came here expecting to find people that could help me. I found no one. I was in a foreign world now...and I knew everything wasn't going to just return to normal. The Heartless are still looking for me. I learned why they came to Destiny Island from a mysterious figure. They were after my keyblade, Synergy.brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbr[Flashback]brbrThey want your keyblade,... the mysterious figure said.brbrWhat? What's a keyblade? I replied.brbrI looked at the key shaped weapon I was holding. It looked just like Riku's. It came to me when one of the Heartless was just about to kill me. It appeared in my hand out of thin air. I slashed the Heartless fiend and it vanished in an instant. This weapon had awesome power.brbrSynergy chose you...brbrHe was beginning to fade. I had so many questions to ask. What's a keyblade? Why did it choose me? What was the reason?brbrNo! Come back!brbrHe was already gone...brbr[Flashback ended]brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbrI stood up quickly. I heard something. I walked calmly around one of the towering buildings. There was something dark coming out of the ground. I looked into its glowing eyes. Damn!!! The Heartless came. They rose out of the ground like little black ants. Those glowing eyes were just glaring at me. I was being surrounded. I knew I had to fight. I took out Synergy and got ready.brbrThey jumped after me one by one. I slashed and slashed. One leapt into the air and tried to surprise me. I jumped back and slashed it. I took a quick glance around me. There were too many! I couldn't even see the ground anymore. I knew I couldn't destroy all of them. I thought I was going to die. I just stood there. It felt like I was in shock. I probably was. I tried to get myself to move but I just couldn't. Another one jumped at me. It was so quick. I closed my eyes and was about to accept my fate.brbrbrbrWhat was that? I opened my eyes. The fiend was gone. I thought I was already dead. I looked around me. All I saw was Heartless looking up. I looked up on the roof of the skyscraper in front of me and saw a cloaked figure. I snapped out of my trance.brbrThe cloaked figure jumped off of the building and was diving at me at full speed. I could see that the person had two keyblades. How many people have these damn keyblades? He/she landed softly on the ground and stood next to me.brbrWe fought the Heartless. This person was a really good fighter. He/she wielded the keyblades with deadly proficiency. The person slashed and leapt into the air. I've never seen anyone fight like this. After destroying numerous Heartless we knew we had to retreat. I turned around and saw another cloaked figure near by. It looked like he was casting a spell or something. A wall of purple flame appeared behind me all the sudden. I called to the person that was helping me and we escaped. We kept on running. I looked behind me and saw nothing in the distance. I stopped.brbrWhy are you stopping? the person asked.brbrAfter a moment of silence I had to ask.brbrWho are you?brbrHe/she stood there for a while. The cloaked figure took his/her hood off slowly. I froze as the hood was pulled back. I saw a nice looking girl. She had really nice eyes. She seemed so happy. Damn it I need to worry about surviving right now. I tried to snap out of it. She finally answered.brbrName's Colleen, I was looking for my friends until I found you standing there surrounded by Heartless. You know you shouldn't just stand there when your life's on the line. I decided to give you some help hehe.brbrHer smile made her look really cute. I hate it when my mind trails off like that. I thanked her for helping me. I was still confused about how she would have two keyblades.brbrThanks for helping me. I'm Khanh.brbrShe smiled again.brbrSo you have one too? she asked.brbrbrbrShe pointed to my keyblade. It glowed a light blue. I held it up. She was asking about Synergy.brbrOh you mean Synergy?You're one of the chosen then...The chosen?brbrShe explained it all to me. How the chosen are destined to destroy the Heartless once and for all. She said she didn't understand how a person with some key could destroy the Heartless. It didn't really make sense to me either.brbrWhy did it choose me?I'm not really sure why. My parents used to tell me this story when I was little.brbrI was so confused. This didn't make any sense at all. Why would I be chosen to save the world from the Heartless? I'm nothing. I'm no hero. I remembered what Colleen said about looking for her friends.brbrHey come with me you can join me and my friends. Colleen said.brbrAre you sure? I'll just get in the way. I replied.brbrYes I'm sure. You can keep me company.brbrShe smiled when she said that. I could feel a strange kind of gentleness coming from it. I decided to go with her. Might as well have some company. I've been alone for so long it's driving me nuts. I kept on wondering about the keyblades. I was just following Colleen helping her find her friends. I had to ask about her keyblades.brbrSo you're one of the chosen also? I asked.brbrYup. Oathkeeper doesn't belong to me though.brbrShe took out one of the two keyblades she possessed. It glowed a bright red. I somehow felt connected to this keyblade. It didn't matter to me though.brbrWhom does it belong to?I'm not really sure but this cloaked guy came up to me saying that this keyblade belonged to 'him'.brbrShe shrugged. She insisted that we go find her friends so I started to follow her again. My cloak was getting heavy from the rain. I kept my head covered in my hood though. I didn't want to show my face. Every time Colleen tried to see under my hood I looked away. I didn't want her to know what I looked like. I felt really shy about it. Anyway we finally found one of her friends later in the outskirts of Midgar. Never knew I could walk so far. I guess thinking too much really makes you seem different heh. I was shocked. Did everyone wear cloaks or something? I laughed at the thought. She introduced me to them.brbrKhanh, this is Tina. Tina said.brbrI turned to Colleen.brbrSo where did she come from?She's a childhood friend. I'll explain later.brbrTina was a perky looking girl. She seemed really hyper right now. I started to laugh a bit. She seemed like a really nice person though. I wondered what we were going to do now. I sat down and started to think. I still wondered about why the keyblade chose me. After a moment of thinking I almost fell asleep.brbrHey! Wake up little boy! Colleen yelled.brbrWow did that really wake me up. Damn why did she have to wake me up now? I was just about to get some sleep for once. I stood up and towered over her.brbrLittle boy? I replied.brbrWe started to laugh a little. Never felt this happy before. I guess laughing is the only thing that kept her going.brbrSo what are we going to do now?We're going to the town of Bevelle.Is that where Tina came from?Yes that's her hometown. She decided to come help me on my adventure. She has really good magic skills.I can tell from the spell she cast back there. So tell me about all this. About the Heartless and how we are supposed to stop them.I'll explain everything.The Heartless are beings born from the darkness in people's hearts. All hearts are born from darkness and are destined to return to the darkness.What do you mean return to the darkness?That's where we are trying to get to. The World of Darkness. The keyblades we have are the only things that will get us there. In order to get to the World of Darkness we will have to unlock all the locks.I'm not sure what they are. The keyblades have the ability to lock the door that leads to the heart of each world. Multiple locks are scattered throughout this continent. In order to seal this world from the Heartless we'll need to lock all of them. The only way to do this is go to the World of Darkness and lock the door. There are legends about the keyblades. The legend says that the wielders will save the world, another says that they will bring chaos and ruin.I'm not sure I should be going along with this.Me saving the world? I really don't know. It's just so much trouble. How do we know this will even work? It's just a story remember.It's worth a try right? If we don't try we'll never know if it works.I don't know... I need to think for a while.brbrI started to walk away. She ran up to me.brbrSo you're just abandoning us?I'm sorry...brbrI never mentioned to her that Bevelle was also my hometown. I decided to go there for now. I needed to think about this. The Heartless took my friend, Riku, away. What if it takes her? I don't want that to happen. I walked away slowly and turned around to see what Colleen was doing. Her back was to me. I hope she wasn't mad at me. I continued walking. I had to go see my family... 


	2. Bevelle Destroyed and The Birth of ID

Chapter 2: Bevelle Destroyed and The Birth of ID.brbrIt was still raining. I've never seen the sky so dark. I was so tired from walking so far. I've been in these dark plains for over a day. My body was getting weary. I could barely even carry Synergy. I was finally back. I saw Bevelle in the distance but I could also see something burning...brbrIt was like a nightmare... the city was being destroyed! All the homes around me were burning and collapsing. I looked around. There were lifeless bodies all around me. I couldn't stand it. I had to go find my family. The smoke was so dense. I slowly approached my house, which was as well, in flames. NO! Not my family too! I broke down the door and ran in. Everything was in flames. I had to go find them. Damn it! The house was collapsing rapidly. I couldn't even get to the 2nd floor anymore. I had to run outside. I coughed and almost fell. The smoke was way too dense and it was everywhere. I stared up at what was once my home. Tears started to fall from my eyes. Who did this? I couldn't handle it anymore. I looked on the ground and saw something, which appeared to be a picture. It was a picture of my family and me. I put it away under my cloak and started to walk away. Only that's when the Heartless appeared. Damn these things not now. If they want a fight they're going to get it. These things were going to pay for my family's death. I charged at them and attacked. I slashed at each of them with all my anger. I let it get the best of me though. The Heartless surprised me and started to win. I was constantly slashed at. I tried my best to evade each of them. The smoke was making me fight worse though. I couldn't breathe or see well. One of Heartless got me. It slashed my right chest area. My whole body started to sting. I tried to keep my body up but the pain was excruciating. I fell down. I felt like fainting. I couldn't even breathe without taking in a big breath of smoke and my heart felt like it was going to explode. I fainted.brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbr[Colleen's Point of View]brbrI decided it was time to start off for Bevelle. I woke Tina up and we were ready to go.brbrI think it's best if we stop by the Chocobo Ranch first? Tina asked.brbrSure we can ask Lance if we can borrow some Chocobos.brbrI wondered where Khanh was. I didn't know why he left us. I guess he just needed some time to himself for now. The sky was dark red and it seemed quiet today. Tina and I walked and walked. It seemed like an endless plain. Bevelle was close by and we could get there faster with Chocobos. Chocobos are a big yellow bird-like creature that gets around with fast speed. When we got to the Ranch we asked Lance if we could borrow 3 chocobos. He lent us the chocobos and we were off. I've known Lance since I was little. He was the one that first taught me to ride a chocobo. Tina and I finally made it to Bevelle. We dismounted and left our chocobos outside. I looked around the burning city. The town was destroyed. and it didn't seem to me that anyone was alive. Who could've done this? I went over to Tina. Tina was crying. I was trying to comfort her in anyway I can. Her family lived here. I promised myself to find out whoever did this for Tina. I can't believe everyone was gone. I convinced her to look for survivors with me. Tina ran off to find her family. Was Khanh here? I started looking around but all I saw was lifeless bodies and burning houses. It wasn't a pretty sight. I continued looking until I heard a slight moan. I continued forward until I saw a man lying on the ground trying to get up.brbrStay down! I'll help!brbrI was running to him until a Heartless fiend emerged in front of me. Its glowing eyes were just staring at me. Soon a lot started to emerge out of the ground. I had to get the man and help him before it was too late. I had to end this fight fast. I took out Oathkeeper and quickly got into my fighting stance. I knew there were too many for me to handle. I had to fight though. Before I could even make a move something happened.. Another figure came into my sight. He was holding a keyblade! It glowed a dark red. I couldn't see what the person looked like. His cloak covered his whole appearance. I didn't know what he was going to do. I really hoped he was on my side. All the sudden he slashed.. at one of the fiends. He destroyed them one by one. His moves were so swift and deadly. His reflexes were so fast. None of the Heartless even touched him. They were all gone before I knew it. It was silent for a while. He stood there looking at me after the battle.brbrDo you care for him?What? Who are you? Whom are you talking about?Leave us alone...What? Answer me!brbrAll the sudden I was blinded by a bright red flash. When I opened my eyes he was gone. Who was he? Why did he help me? What did he mean by 'him'? I was snapped out of my trance. The man was still alive. I ran over to him and helped him up.brbrWhat happened?We were attacked by Shin-Ra...Shin-Ra!? What did they want in Bevelle?They wanted... the Key of Darkness. We resisted and they stole it.They did all this?brbrThe man was already dead... I had to find Khanh and tell him what had happened. I looked around trying to find Tina. The heat was getting intense. The smoke was dense. I could barely see anything. I finally found Tina. She was checking on a guy who seemed to be unconscious. I ran up to Tina and the survivor. It was Khanh! I was so happy to see him and that he was alive. He awakened. We knew we had to get out of here before we died. Tina and I helped Khanh stand up. We started to walk fast. There was nothing more we could do for Bevelle. I almost started to cry myself. There was so much death and destruction. What did Shin-Ra want with the Key of Darkness? I concentrated on getting out of Bevelle. We were surrounded by fire. I had to think quickly.brbrTina, use your magic!brbrShe started to concentrate. I knew it was hard for her because of all this smoke. I checked on Khanh. He seemed ok but he was breathing well. I had to get him out before it was too late.brbrbrbrA giant waterfall came out of nowhere and drenched the fire. We ran through. We finally made it out of Bevelle. It was morning. The sun never shined so bright. I don't think this was a good time for daylight but it was better than darkness I guess. I let Khanh rest against a chocobo. I started to walk away until he woke up. I ran back to him.brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbr[Khanh's Point of View]brbrI never felt so weak. I couldn't move well. I felt like all my energy was wasted. I tried to get a look around. Bevelle was in front of me. What happened? I've never seen daylight before. I felt calm and decided to rest again. I tried to turn around to see what I was resting on! It felt warm and soft.brbrHey! Stay still, you need to rest.brbrI looked up and saw Colleen. I saw Tina behind her sitting down. I expected her to be jumping around or something.brbrWhat happened? I asked.brbrWe were here when Bevelle was being destroyed. Tina found you on the ground unconscious. What happened to you?brbrI explained everything to her. About my family. I didn't tell her about my wound. I covered it with my cloak. It still stung like crazy. I tried to stand and it just hurt. Every time I took a breath my chest hurt. I still had the picture of my family and me. I kept it hidden also. I had to ask her.brbrWho did...this?brbrShe explained who they were.brbrThey are a corporation that wants to rid the world of Heartless.What the hell did they want in Bevelle?The Key of Darkness.What is that?A keyblade full of dark power. It's said that it is the only keyblade that possesses the power to lock the World of Darkness but it can only be done by going into their world. They stole it from our temple.Take me to them...brbrShe agreed to. We started off for the main Shin-Ra building. She said it was in the middle of Midgar. Did we really have to go back to that place? I had to get revenge for my family. I had to find out who was really responsible for this. I seemed to be slowing down whenever I was walking for a while. I could tell Tina and Colleen were confused on why. My wound hurt so badly. I felt like fainting again but I had to keep on going. 


	3. Infiltration

Chapter 3: InfiltrationbrbrThank Colleen she let me ride her chocobo with her. I felt so tired and weak. Riding a chocobo was actually pretty fun. This thing seemed to like me. Tina was riding beside us. I could tell she was sad. We both had the same ordeals. Colleen was resting on my shoulder. She looked pretty cute while she was sleeping. I could see Midgar in the distance. I pointed to the largest building, which appeared to be in the middle.brbrIs that it? I asked Tina.brbrbrbrIt was huge. There were lights all around it. I didn't know how we were going to get into a place like that. It looked heavily guarded. I didn't notice it before because I've never been that deep into Midgar.brbrHow are we going to get into a place like that?There's a secret entrance to the left of the main one. It will take a while to get inside but it's the only choice we've got.How do you know all this?brbrShe kept silent for a while. How did she really know all this? I was guessing she tried to get in before.brbrI used to work for them...brbrShe rode on ahead. She used to be in Shin-Ra? How could that be I wonder? It was only a short time until we got to Midgar. Colleen woke up and I helped her off the chocobo. I walked over to Tina. This place was really huge. I knew it would take a miracle to get inside.brbrWe can't infiltrate this place that easily.I know we'll need a key card. Each elevator needs one. The stairs don't lead to the top of course. I only have the key card for floor 33. We can access every floor below also.brbrShe took out a small card and showed it to me. How the heck were we going to get to the top? Colleen seemed tired. I think she got hurt in Bevelle. Maybe the smoke was affecting her breathing. I walked over to her.brbrAre you okay?Yeah, I'm fine. Something wrong?No I was just worried.brbrShe smiled knowing that. I can tell something was bothering her though. My chest was hurting again. I almost collapsed. Colleen caught me before I fell.brbrKhanh, what's wrong?No, I'm fine, just tired.Tina, who's the leader of Shin-Ra?Rufus, head of Shin-Ra, expert gun marksman and was once leader of Bevelle.Once the leader? He would just destroy his own town like that...how fricken cold can the guy be?Hey I worked for him... I know.brbrWe started for the main building. Once we got there the main entrance was guarded by what appeared to be Shin-Ra guards. I looked around for the secret entrance. I saw a little alley to the left of the building. I followed Tina. The guards were easy to sneak past. Lazy bastards were sleeping on the job. After we made it into the secret entrance I looked up. I pointed up.brbrFloor 33 is all the way up there!?What did you expect an escalator?brbrI sighed. I couldn't walk all the way up there with my injury. I was afraid I might faint. I guess we had to run up though. It was like an endless run. It felt like I was running nowhere. Tina and Colleen kept ahead of me and I was getting tired quickly. We made it to floor 26. I stopped.brbrWhat's wrong?I can't go on...you go ahead. I'm going to go in here and check things out.You might get caught!Same chances up there right?brbrI opened the door. Damn never seen a room this bright before. As I closed the door someone shoved it open. It was Colleen.brbrYou're not going anywhere without me anymore.brbrI smiled at her. She smiled back. I felt the same strange gentleness coming from it.brbrTina will meet up with us later.brbrI looked around. This seemed like someplace where people took breaks. How retarded.brbrI chose the right floor didn't I... I said as I looked around.brbrShe laughed a bit. I decided to go take a look around. Everyone seemed friendly for some reason. This felt like a trap or something. I walked up to what seemed like a waiter. What the hell was going on here?brbrWhere's Rufus? I glared.brbrOhhhh, you must be one of the guys that came to fix the computers!brbrI didn't know what the heck he was talking about. He gave me a key card, which had the number 52. Just my luck that some idiot thought I was a repairman. How stupid were these people? I laughed at the thought. As I got into the elevator I pressed floor 52.brbrColleen, is it me or are these people just plain idiots?I don't know what's going on either.This place doesn't seem like a military base or anything.Of course not. This is paradise for their workers. Shin-Ra doesn't earn all of their money of course you should know that by now. They conduct their military operations on the top floor.brbrThe elevator door opened and out we went. I walked out slowly and took a look around. This floor seemed like a weather station. Computers were all around. I saw a room in the middle, which seemed to be a place for meetings. I had to find a way to the top. I looked around the room. Nothing was here except some papers. Colleen and I decided to split up for now. I looked around outside the room but I couldn't find anything. People seemed to be silent here. I was beginning to get impatient. This was really pissing me off. I just wanted to find Rufus and make him suffer. I concentrated on finding a way to the top. I saw a flight of stairs around the corner. It was leading to floor 53. I found Colleen and told her about it. We hid near the stairs. I was just about to go until she held me back.brbrEach set of stairs has a security device. If we don't have the key card we can get into serious trouble.Damn. So how do we get up?I don't know to be honest.brbrI felt a slight tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a man dressed in black. He was holding some type of rod. I looked at him. He didn't do anything at all. I didn't know whether I should've said something or not.brbrYou don't belong here do you?brbrI stayed silent. All the sudden everything was fading.brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbr[Colleen's Point of View]brbrWhat happened? Somebody hit me from behind. My head still hurts from the blow. I looked around. It seems I was locked up in a cell. There were solid walls all around me and I couldn't here anything from the outside. Khanh was lying on a bed nearby. I hurried over to him. He seemed all right. I decided to let him rest.brbrbrbrI looked around. Who was that? I went over to the wall near Khanh.brbrWho is it?It's me, Tina.Tina? How did you get here?Pshh one of those damn guys hit me from behind and locked me up in this place. Where's Khanh?He seems to be ok.brbrI sat down near a wall and leaned my head back. I was thinking about taking his hood off but knowing he wouldn't want that I decided not to. I was wondering how we were going to get out of here. I heard Khanh wake up. He seemed really tired. He looked around. He knew that we were caught and locked up. He looked at me.brbrAre you okay? he asked.brbrYeah, what about you?A little headache.brbrI had to say something to him but I don't know if I should.brbrKhanh, please help me...brbrHe seemed confused. I wanted to ask him to help me on my journey to destroy the Heartless. I was afraid after this he would just leave me. I really needed someone nearby. I couldn't go on alone anymore. I was afraid of what was out there. He was the only one that made me happy. I couldn't face the outside world anymore without someone near me. Right now he was the only one that I could trust.brbrWhat are you talking about?Please don't leave me...brbrHe seemed to understand what I meant. He got up and walked over to me. He sat down near me and said.brbrI won't...The feeling of being alone... I don't want to be alone.brbrHe held me in his arms. I rested my head on his shoulder. I started to cry.brbrI'm afraid... of what's out there. You're the only one that makes me happy.Please don't leave me... I need you. Please help Tina and me. I can't handle being alone anymore.brbrHe kept silent. I know he had to think for a while. I didn't want to force him to come with me. I wanted to let him make his own decision. I decided to go to sleep for now.brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbr[Khanh's Point of View]brbrI didn't know what to think or say. Was I falling in love? I didn't want to make up a decision now. I decided to stay by her side and help her though. It was so quiet all around. I didn't know what was going to happen to us. My chest started to hurt. I couldn't even keep my head up. I seemed to be losing all my energy. I fell asleep... 


	4. Unraveled Mystery

Chapter 4: Unraveled MysterybrbrI heard something. I looked around the room. Everything seemed ok... Except that the door was open! Colleen was still sleeping peacefully. Something was going on. I had to wake her up.brbrColleen, look...brbrShe looked up and saw that the door had been open. What was going on? I had to go check it out.brbrStay here.brbrI walked outside and looked around. I could smell the scent of death. I looked at the ground. There was a trail of blood...I ran back into the cell. Colleen walked out with me and she saw it with her own eyes. Something has happened. Tina was not in her cell. Where could she be? We followed the trail until it stopped. The guard was dead. I checked his body while Colleen looked away. He was stabbed frequently. I checked for anything that could be useful. The keys were missing. Of course someone used it to open our cell doors. Could Tina have done this? We decided to go look around. It was quiet...Too quiet. Everyone was dead. Nothing was working either. While we were going upstairs floor by floor...we saw trails of blood on the wall. When we got to the last flight of stairs I told Colleen to stay. There was blood everywhere... Colleen came up after a while. She was sickened. I was too. The man that knocked me out was dead. The room was big but now silent. There was a big desk and windows behind it. Someone was on the desk... Colleen and I walked up to see who it was. All the sudden I heard a voice behind us.brbrHe's dead...brbrWe turned around. It was Tina. Did she do this? She seemed so calm. I don't know what was going on anymore.brbrWhat the hell is going on?I don't know. When I woke up my cell door was opened. I decided to go look around and see what happened. When I returned to wake you two up you were gone.brbrI turned around and looked at the body.brbrWho is this?It's Rufus...brbrI was shocked. This whole entire building was filled with lifeless bodies now? I could see that the weapon the murderer used was still in Rufus' body. It was a keyblade!brbrOh my god...What is it? Colleen asked.brbrI collapsed onto the ground. The keyblade seemed really familiar. It glowed a dark black.brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbr[Flashback]brbr*Looking at Riku's keyblade*brbrI know that keyblade...it couldn't be. That's the same keyblade I saw on Destiny Island. It couldn't be. The keyblade looked exactly like the one I saw.brbr[Flashback ended]brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbrThis is Riku's keyblade...brbrColleen stared at me.brbrbrbrColleen walked over to the lifeless body. She looked at the keyblade. It had to be Riku's. Rufus' white suit was stained with his blood.brbrDo you think....Riku is on our side? Colleen asked.brbrI don't know....he wouldn't do this though. It's not like him.Wait. Where's the Key of Darkness?He must've taken it... Tina said.brbrMaybe he's trying to lock the World of Darkness?brbrSomething was outside. A loud roar shook the room. Something bad was going to happen. I could feel it. I had to get Colleen and Tina out of here.brbrGet Tina and get out of here...What? No I'm not going without you!brbrTina and Colleen started to leave the building. What was that roar? I had to go check. I looked at the keyblade one last time. How could Riku do this? There was a door to the left of the desk leading outside. Once I got outside I knew where that roar came from of course. It was a dragon. I couldn't believe it. I thought these creatures were just myths. I've never actually seen one. A man was standing near it. He wore a white suit and his hair resembled Rufus'. What the hell did he want? Was he the one that killed everyone here? He walked up to me.brbrSo you're the one who did this? he asked.brbrI was hoping you could answer that question.So do you know Riku...?brbrI was astounded by that question. Did this mean Riku was actually alive? I started to get mad. After all this time he was alive? Why didn't he try to find me...brbrYes I do. Why?I have to destroy him...he will be the end of this world.What!? That is impossible! Riku wouldn't do this!You think you know him? He's a monster. He murdered everyone in this building. I saw my dad get murdered right before my eyes. He has no remorse, no pity and no heart.brbrI was shocked at what he said. This isn't the Riku I knew. He pointed to me.brbrYou were helping him weren't you. There was another cloaked figure near him that resembles you.No, I have nothing to do with this...atrocity.brbrHe took out his sword. What the hell did he want with me? I couldn't have done this. Who was this other person that was with Riku? He pointed the sword at me. I knew he didn't believe me.brbrYou will pay for my father's death...brbrBefore I could say more he charged at me. I withdrew Synergy from under my cloak. I had to defend myself from this guy. He slashed at me with all his anger. I couldn't withstand his blows. My wound was beginning to hurt even more. I couldn't withstand them anymore. He kept on attacking. My pain was getting even worse. He constantly slashed at my knees. I tried to attack back but the blows I delivered weren't as strong because of my injury. He kept on changing his attack positions. I couldn't see what he was going to do next. He was too fast. I was getting tired fast. He didn't seem to budge when I tried to strike back at him. I had to take a chance. I leapt into the air... and drove Synergy straight down on his sword. There was a loud cling. Silent... the sword didn't even crack! I was exhausted. I used all my energy up for that attack. I fell down and tried to stand up. I could only kneel for now. I was just about to die until all the sudden a red flash enveloped my eyes. His sword shattered and flew back. He was confused as I was. What happened? I didn't seem to be affected at all. I saw him climb onto his dragon.brbrYou'll pay for this! I will get my revenge!brbrHe flew away... I stood up again. My chest was bleeding a little. I walked back into the room. I was about to walk back down to meet up with Colleen and Tina until I looked at Rufus' body again. The keyblade was gone...brbrI met up with Colleen and we descended the large building. The elevators seemed to be working still. We started for the 1st floor. I sat down and started to rest. This has been one bad day. I started thinking about Riku. How the hell can he be alive? I still wasn't sure if he was on our side or not. How can he be alive? I saw him die with my own eyes. I checked to see if Colleen was ok. Something was bothering her again.brbrKhanh,... have you made your decision yet?brbrThere was a brief silence. She looked like she was going to cry. She thought she knew my decision but she was wrong. I decided to go with her. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to be there for her so she didn't feel alone. I also had to see Riku with my own eyes. I stood up and walked over to her. I hugged her.brbrYou know my decision.brbrShe looked up at me. Her eyes never looked so pretty. She smiled.brbrYes, I'll go with you.brbrShe hugged me tightly.brbrThank you... 


	5. Besaid's Destruction

Chapter 5: Besaid's DestructionbrbrAfter leaving Midgar we were off for the first keyhole. I felt tired and weak after the battle. Tina kept silent under her hood without saying a word. My mind kept on trying to figure out why Colleen would save a stranger like me. I wondered about where she was from, how her past was like and how did she really feel right now. I didn't know where we were going.brbrSo where are we going? I asked.brbrTo Besaid where the first keyhole should be.How do you know this?I've heard from my childhood story.brbrAfter hours of riding I saw Besaid in the distance. Tents were put up everywhere. The tents seemed to form a circle. In the middle was one big open area. There seemed to be a massive structure standing tall above all the others. We rode our chocobos down the grassy plain. The ocean crashed against Besaid's shore as the sun shined down on the massive building. We dismounted our chocobos and I followed Colleen and Tina around Besaid. We walked up to a big blue looking tent.brbrSo what are we going to do first?First I think we should get some rest at the inn before we go find that keyhole. Colleen replied.brbrWe walked into the inn and looked around. It seemed peaceful in here. A good view of the ocean and calming sounds. I walked over to a bed and sat down. I looked out at the ocean. The blue sea calmed me and seemed to relieve all my pain. Colleen walked over to me.brbrI got us some beds so go ahead and rest.brbrI nodded.brbrbrbrAfter moments of trying to rest I couldn't take it anymore. Colleen looked like she couldn't get any rest either. I walked over and sat near her. She rested her head on my shoulder.brbrAre you okay?Yeah, just can't get any rest.So where do you think this keyhole is?It should be around here. I've heard that it's hidden though.So how are we going to find it then?It might reveal itself to us...I'm not sure.Let's go look around Besaid.brbrAs we walked outside I heard a lot of murmuring sounds like praying from the massive building I saw earlier. I decided to go inside and take a look around as Colleen followed. As I walked inside I saw towering statues lighted up by nearby fire torches. The cracking of the fire echoed throughout the large hollow room. There were people praying and bowing to the statues. There were stairs across of the entrance leading into a dark hall. A man, who seemed like a priest, walked over to Colleen and me.brbrHi, are you new here?brbrI nodded. The priest turned around and showed me what this place was.brbrWelcome to the Temple of Besaid. Here the people pray to the fayth and hope that the Heartless will not come to destroy their homes. Here people can find refuge is they are looking for a place to stay.The fayth? I asked.brbrThe fayth are the spirits of the past keyblade holders that have tried to save the world from the Heartless. They died trying and we have honored their brave deaths by these statues. It is said that if a keyblade holder prays to the fayth he or she will receive a mighty beast also known as an Aeon. Each of the fayth at each temple hold an Aeon.brbrHe pointed toward the dark hall, which stood above the stairs.brbrThere is where the keyblade holder shall pray to the fayth.brbrI nudged Colleen. I was wondering if she could receive an Aeon. I told her to take out her keyblade and show it to the priest. When the priest turned around he nearly fell.brbrIs that a keyblade!? You are one of the chosen! Please, please enter the chamber of the fayth.brbrColleen looked at me and I smiled. I told her to go on. I walked outside of the temple and sat down. I hoped she would receive an Aeon to help us on our journey. I decided to walk back into the inn to see how Tina was doing. She looked like she was sleeping well and comfortably. I walked back outside and looked around. It seemed quiet. All the people that were around seemed ok but no one seemed to talk to each other. I saw Colleen come out of the temple. I ran over to her. She seemed really happy. I could tell by the sweet smile she had on her face. I wondered if she had acquired an Aeon.brbrSo how did it go?brbrShe smiled and walked. What was she thinking? She stopped in the middle of the where all the tents seem to point at. I walked over to her and stared blankly. She closed her eyes and it looked like she was praying. An aura enveloped her and she was covered in light. I looked up in the sky and a creature was diving at us. I thought it was one of the Heartless and drew my keyblade. The aura around Colleen slowly disappeared and the creature landed next to her. It was Colleen's Aeon. It's head looked like a white hard shield covered it. It red light wings looked like it could cut anything. I walked over to Colleen.brbrIs this your Aeon.?Yup. His name is Valefor.Why couldn't we get a dragon or something? I laughed.brbrValefor cocked his head at me and growled. Colleen started laughing as I backed away. I didn't want to start trouble with it now. It seemed it would be loyal to us and that it would die protecting us. Valefor flew away and Colleen walked inside to rest. Since I had Synergy out I decided to start training. I twirled and slashed with the keyblade. I needed to learn some new moves and get better with this keyblade. It was getting dark and gloom. The clouds all shifted away. I was training for hours. I was just about to go get some sleep until something happened. I turned around.brbrThere were Heartless coming out of the ground everywhere! There seemed to be a new type of Heartless. It carried a sword and shield. Damn Heartless with weapons now? The deep black globs formed those little Heartless giant ant fiends and now there were warrior fiends. All their glowing eyes were staring at me. Their Heartless signs, which resided on their chest, looked like my necklace. I had to wake Colleen and Tina up. I ran inside and shook them awake.brbrWhat's going on? Colleen asked.brbrGo look outside... I replied.brbrWe walked outside and looked at the swarming Heartless. We knew we couldn't handle them by ourselves. I looked behind them and something appeared to be coming. I thought it was even more Heartless. It turned out to be Besaid's army. They rushed down the plain and started to fight. We knew we had to help and drew our weapons. Tina took out which appeared to be dual daggers and got into her fighting stance. I looked at her awkwardly and she smiled. She fought with surprising reflex and speed. She slashed each of the Heartless over and over. She leapt into the air and let lightning bolts crash down on six of the fiends. I started to fight also. The new warrior fiends with the shield and sword were not easy to destroy. I had to use fast swift moves in order to get even one blow on them. I looked around and saw Colleen. She seemed to be doing well with her dual keyblades. The soldiers were fighting tirelessly but the numbers were too much. Most were already dead. Besaid was getting overrun. I knew we wouldn't win this battle. I yelled to one of the soldiers.brbrWe have to evacuate the villagers!Alright! I'll get the boat ready!brbrHe told most of the other remaining soldiers to rally up all the villagers. We had to distract the Heartless until all the villagers were safe. We fought for ages. The Heartless kept on coming. I was getting tired and it seemed I was going to faint. I fell to the ground and saw one of the warrior fiends closing up on me. I couldn't get up and my chest was in pain. I saw a giant purple clad armored man walk up to me. I thought he was going to kill me until he extended his hand. I got up and kneeled down on one leg. I didn't have the strength left to fight. This man swung his giant sword with might. He cut through the shields! This guy must have great strength in order to wield a giant sword like that. He cut through numbers of Heartless with each swipe. I saw Colleen run over to me and point behind me.brbrThe keyhole is behind you!brbrI turned around. It was one of the keyholes that needed to be locked in order to lock the World of Darkness away. I stood up and ran over to it with her.brbrHow do we lock this? I asked.brbrPoint your keyblade at it.brbrI took Synergy and pointed it straight at the keyhole. It came out of nowhere. It seemed like there was a barrier around it that looked like a Heartless sign. The middle was just plain darkness. My keyblade shone and a ray of light hit the middle. The middle started to glow brightly and it disappeared.brbrGood! Now we need to get out of here.brbrI turned around to check on my mysterious helper. He was still doing well but it seemed he was growing tired. I didn't know how we were going to get out of here. The boat was too far but all the villagers made it. The Heartless were overrunning us like a giant swarm of locusts.brbrI'll summon Valefor!brbrI nodded at Colleen and ran over to help the others. Some soldiers were still fighting. Most of them were dead. Bodies were littered everywhere around the battlefield. The tents were burning. I couldn't stand it any longer. I couldn't stay here. I walked up to the mysterious armored man.brbrWho are you?Call me Nightmare...brbrI nodded and smiled. Valefor came and Colleen signaled for us to come. She got on Valefor and waited. Nightmare ran over to her and I was just about to until something held me. I looked at my arms. They were glowing a light purple like the rest of my body. I floated in the air and dangled. I turned around and looked around. The Heartless were just standing there looking at me. What was going on? I couldn't get myself to the ground or move my keyblade. A dark portal seemed to open up on the ground. Someone was coming out of the ground but he seemed human! I looked at him closely. He seemed really familiar. His white long hair covered his face a little. He seemed to have a blindfold on. I finally realized who it was... 


	6. Rivaled Friendship

Chapter 6: Rivaled FriendshipbrbrI was still floating in the air staring at him. The purple aura that enveloped me was still holding me in place. I was still trying to move but I could barely even breathe. How could it be? Didn't he know who I was? Riku let me float down onto the ground slowly as the rain started to pound my cloak.brbrRiku!? Is that you? I cried.brbrYour friend, Riku, is no more... he replied.brbrI stood there looking at him. Something has happened to Riku. He took out Oblivion and pointed it at me. He had an evil sadistic smirk on his face. I pulled out Synergy and stood watching cautiously as Colleen and Nightmare looked from behind. I didn't want to fight Riku. He walked towards me as I stepped back.brbrWhy are you running away? he said.brbrI'm...not going to fight you, Riku. I replied.brbrHe laughed as I got angrier and angrier. This couldn't be him. This wasn't the way he acted. I thought the Heartless killed him on Destiny Island but here he is...with them. All of the sudden he charged at me. He tried to strike me down but my anger was actually helping me for once. Even though my chest was still in pain from the wound, I fought back with all my strength. He didn't even seem to lose his balance. I tried my best to surprise him but he anticipated my every move. He knocked me to the ground with a surprise attack and walked up to me.brbrPrepare to die...brbrI looked at him and tried to bring my keyblade up to block the blow. My arm felt like it wasn't even there. Synergy felt heavy and I couldn't even lift it no matter how hard I tried. It was too late and his strike was just about to hit me until something happened. He collapsed and it looks like he was struggling against something. He grabbed his head and screamed in agony.brbrNo...not now! he yelled.brbrHe looked at me.brbrKhanh! Get out of here! I'll hold him back! he yelled.brbrI looked at him confusingly.brbrbrbrI ran to him but he shoved me back. I looked at him with pain in my eyes.brbrAnsem will regain control of my body! I'll keep him here as long as I can!brbrI stood there but I knew I had no chance of saving him right now. I ran over to Colleen and Valefor. Nightmare was sitting on the back. I got on and looked back at him. He was still on the ground but it looks like he was losing control over this... . As Valefor flew off we looked at him as he stood up and looked up at us. I couldn't see his eyes because of his blindfold. The boat made it safely off the island but everything was destroyed...as I looked at him the Heartless took over Besaid and left it in ruins. I had to save Riku somehow. Colleen looked at me and it looked like she was confused as well.brbrThat was...Riku? she asked.brbrI nodded. I didn't know what to do now. He was possessed. I didn't know what to do to save him. After all this time he was alive. I couldn't believe it. One of the keyholes is now locked but how many more do we have to go find? The boat was nearby and it looked like it was still in good shape. Valefor landed on the deck and we got off. After is flew off, I walked over to the railing of the boat to think for a while. The sea was calm while the wind was blowing hard against my hood. I saw Colleen standing there near Tina. She walked over to me and held me close.brbrAre you okay? she asked.brbrYou'll get Riku back...don't you worry.brbrI tried to smile but it bothered me too much. Her smile was so calming. Her eyes made me calm down but I was still afraid. I was so confused and worried. I didn't know how I could try to save the world while also trying to save my best friend at the same time. Did I have to kill him to stop all this madness? I saw an island in the distance. Bright lights lit up the buildings and it seemed like it was a big city. I could hear all the laughter and joy of the people from the boat.brbrWhere are we? I asked.brbrWe are heading to the island of Luca. I've heard this was one of the most technological advanced cities in the world. The secondary keyhole should be here. Luckily they chose to come here.brbrNightmare walked over to me and stood watching the city. The giant sword that he wielded was hanging on his side. His purple shining helmet seemed to cover his entire face instead of his eyes. They seemed to send a chill down my spine. They glowed a light red. He turned to me and those eyes just looked like they were just glaring.brbrThanks for helping me. I said.brbrHe nodded. I kept on looking at his sword. Colleen stared at the sword in disbelief also.brbrSo you're both interested in Soul Edge I see. He said.brbrWhere did you get such a weapon? she asked.brbrHe took the sword and rose it up into the air. It was a long red sword that had some kind of glow to it. It looked like it had legendary power. He held it with only one hand! I bet I couldn't even hold it with two. The boat finally settled on the shore and we started to disembark. So many people were injured and some looked like they were deeply saddened. I saw Colleen trying to help each of the villagers. She seemed really sad hearing what each of the villagers had to say. I didn't want her to have to feel this way anymore. I wanted to help her stop the Heartless so this will all end.brbrLuca seemed so different compared to Midgar. It actually seemed like Midgar except Luca actually had people living here. Colleen, Tina, Nightmare and I started to go look around. The buildings towered over us and people constantly kept on bumping into me. It looked tight and busy, streams of people walking and laughing noisily around the city. I couldn't even hear what I was saying to my friends. The noise kept on fading away. We eventually found a hotel where we got two rooms for the night. The hotel seemed lively and there was a bar downstairs. I've never actually seen a city this advanced but I've heard of paradises like it. We went into a nearby elevator and went up to our rooms. The rooms had a magnificent view of the city. I could see all the people anxiously getting to wherever they were going. Colleen walked over to me.brbrThe city that never sleeps. I replied.brbrThat's what they call it.Will you help me save Riku?... I asked.brbrYes, of course.Thank you...brbrI looked out at the city and I wasn't really surprised on how this city would be silent anyway. Colleen walked back into her room and I sat down near a wall and slept. After trying to constantly go to sleep I kept on hearing things from the next room. Nightmare stood near the wall trying to hear what was happening. Something was going on... I went outside and tried to open the door.brbrI tried to go check on the others but the door was locked. I could hear constant muffles. I shook the door hard and tried to run it down. All the sudden I heard a scream, which sounded like it came from Colleen. I finally knocked down the door and looked around. I was looking at the broken window from the hotel door. I ran over to the window and looked out. There appeared to be no trace of Colleen or Tina. I looked around and everything was smashed. Oathkeeper was lying on the ground glowing as usual. Colleen was defenseless? I grabbed it and ran back into the other room to warn Nightmare. He grabbed his sword in a hurry and followed me. We ran down the hall, into the elevator and descended. After getting out of the hotel and trying to get around it seemed like it would be impossible to find someone in this city. I heard another scream but it was muffled by the voices of the people around me. I didn't know where it came from. Several men, who looked like soldiers, came up to me.brbrDo you know that girl!? one of them asked.brbrI nodded quickly.brbrWhere did they go? I asked.brbrTo the Luca Docks! If you don't hurry they'll escape! We'll help you get there but the Shin-Ra soldiers will be trying to stop us!brbrShin-Ra!? What the hell were they doing here? They already had the Key of Darkness what did they need Colleen for? I wondered if Rufus had anything to do with this kidnapping. The constant yelling of the people made it hard to focus. I started to follow the soldiers to the dock... 


	7. Ruptured Mind

Chapter 7: Ruptured MindbrbrFollowing the soldiers I ran tirelessly towards the dock. After stopping, they pointed toward a small ship. It had the Shin-Ra sign that I saw back at their headquarters. I thought the whole entire corporation was annihilated and destroyed. As Nightmare and I started to climb onto the boat, Shin-Ra soldiers knocked us back off. I fell with my back against the ground. I was paralyzed for a few seconds until Nightmare helped me onto my feet. The four soldiers took out some really small looking swords and attacked head on. Nightmare and I drew our weapons and took them out with no problem. Killing people was way different than killing Heartless. These guys actually tried to dodge my blows and deflect it with their own. After climbing onto the boat we looked around for any signs of Colleen or Tina. There was nothing on the deck. It was hard walking on a rocky and slippery boat. There was a lift leading down into the hull and we were just about to go to it until we were stopped. Six soldiers encompassed us out of nowhere and attacked. I fought back but it was way too hard on the boat. I almost slipped every time I tried to deliver a blow. There was too many for Nightmare and I. Four soldiers were all on Nightmare as they hit him in the head with their swords. Luckily the swords weren't good enough to pierce his helmet. He was brought to the ground though as he kneeled trying to throw them off. I was knocked onto the ground and the two others were about to make the deathblow. My chest made me rive in pain. The pain was coming back. I held my chest and looked at the soldiers as they laughed at me. All of the sudden one of the soldiers fell to the ground and started screaming. I stood up quickly and tried to see what was going on. The other soldier was confused also as he looked at the soldier get pulled by an unseen force. The entangled soldier kept on yelling and yelling as he was pulled overboard. I looked over the railing and saw nothing except the soldier floating in the water. The other soldiers looked at me in disbelief, as did Nightmare. All of the sudden the deck was turning black. We all stared as Heartless rose onto the deck and stared at us with their glowing green eyes. Damn now we had to take on Shin-Ra and the Heartless? The soldiers looked at Nightmare and I. I looked at them and held Synergy tightly. We all took our weapons and attacked. I guess I had to work with the soldiers for now. The Heartless were outnumbering us fast as always. Nightmare had to be careful about hitting the others and me. His sword was just way too enormous. After destroying most of them the ship started to rumble. I looked over the railing and saw an enormous hole on the side of the ship. I turned back to Nightmare and the soldiers. The ship was sinking! I ran onto the lift with the other soldiers with Nightmare and went down. When we got down into the watery hull I grabbed one of the soldiers.brbrWhere are they!? I yelled.brbrThey are in the last room down the hall! he choked.brbrI let him go and ran down the hall as Nightmare followed. The hull was filling up with water quickly and it was getting harder and harder to walk. I finally got to the last room and tried to knock the door down. It wouldn't even budge but Nightmare knocked it down in one blow with Soul Edge. Colleen and Tina were there unconscious and blindfolded. We untied them both quickly as the room flooded. Nightmare took Tina as I carried Colleen. When I got out the room the hall my chest was hurting again. It was getting harder to breathe. I could barely carry Colleen anymore. I saw Nightmare carry Tina onto the lift. He looked back at me.brbrCome on!brbrI fell to the ground and looked at him. I had no energy to go on. The hall was already flooded as I saw Nightmare take the lift up. I was floating and slowly becoming unconscious. I realized that it might be too late for Colleen and me. Everything was fading...brbr-----------------------------------------------------------brbr[Colleen's Point of View]brbrAfter awaking, I slowly got up. My body felt weak and numb. The last thing I remember was sitting in the boat blindfolded. I was on the shore of Luca. The beach was calm and the stars were as beautiful as ever. I realized I was just looking at the sky when I should be trying to find out what happened. Where was Tina? I looked around trying to find her. I saw someone lying near. I crawled over to the figure and took a look to see who it was. It was Khanh! He was still breathing and it seemed like he was still in good condition. I shook him many times in order to try to wake him up. He wasn't moving or flinching at all. He seemed to be really injured though. I saw a little trickle of blood on his chest. It looked like he had this wound for quite some time. His cloak was stained with a little blood underneath. I held his hand and started to cry. Something was wrong with him. I tried to wake him up again but nothing happened. Something shiny caught my attention. I found a necklace lying near him. It looked like the Heartless sign that was embodied on those fiends at Besaid. I held it and it started to glow a bright red. It must be Khanh's. I wore it and promised myself to give it to him when he came back to me. I heard a familiar voice behind me.brbrAre you okay?brbrI turned around and saw Nightmare standing near Tina. Nightmare came over to Khanh and knelt by him. After moments of examining what happened to him Nightmare picked Khanh up.brbrLet's take him back to Luca and get him treated quickly.brbrWe ran back to Luca as fast as we could. Almost near the city a few soldiers saw what happened and helped us get to the nearest medical facility. The crowd moved quickly out of the soldier's way. I felt relieved that we didn't have to walk through the crowd. After entering the hospital we let them take Khanh on a medical stretcher. Later we were lead into a room where Khanh was lying hooked up to a lot of machines. I sat near him and held his hand tightly. Nightmare and Tina waited outside for the doctor. I looked at the necklace and it was still glowing a bright red. I wonder where he got it. I actually kind of liked it. The glow seemed to catch my attention. I heard the door open and I put the necklace away. The doctor walked over to me. He looked pretty confused.brbrHe's in some kind of coma or something. His vital signs seem stable though. I'm sorry but we won't be able to help him here. You'll need to bring him to Kislev in order to have a chance of saving him.It's a temple north of here across the sea. There I'm sure you'll be able to find some help. We don't have the necessary medicine or equipment here. I'm sorry. I'll be able to provide you some transport at the docks though.Thank you.brbrHe nodded and walked out of the room. Nightmare and Tina came in and looked at me anxiously waiting to hear what was wrong with him. I told them what the doctor said and they agreed to help me. After leaving we went to the docks. At the docks there was a boat waiting for us. We loaded Khanh into one of the infirmary rooms in the hull below and we took off. The doctor said Kislev would be a short trip and I hope it was going to be. After moments of thinking outside on the railing I went inside to see how Khanh was doing. He looked fine but I missed him even though he was right here. I missed hearing his voice and his silent attitude. I hoped he would be able to be treated at Kislev. I sat down near him and waited... 


	8. Recuperating in Kislev

Chapter 8: Recuperating in Kislev  
  
I was sitting on the left side of the boat as it was rocking against the waves smoothly. The stars were shining brightly as the moonlight shadow covered me. I couldn't stop worrying about Khanh. I held his necklace and just started to look at it closely. The Heartless sign was still glowing bright red. When I found it near Khanh's unconscious body it looked like any normal necklace. I wondered why he never told me about his chest wound. Tina walked up to me and sat down. She looked worried.  
  
"Are you feeling okay?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm just worried about Khanh."  
  
"He'll be ok. I'll help you no matter what the cost."  
  
I smiled as she smiled back. I gave her a quick hug.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
She walked over to Nightmare and started to talk with him. It looked weird because there was a cloaked girl talking with an overgrown warrior. It may have looked weird but it seemed like they were getting along well. I felt a little better thanks to Tina. I felt a little tired so I decided to go to sleep. The boat kept on rocking and rocking so it was kind of hard to even get comfortable.  
  
After waking up I stood up and looked out into the ocean. I saw Kislev in the distance. It was a magnificent looking temple. It's gold massive structure made it looked like a huge museum. I walked back down into the infirmary room to check on Khanh. He seemed to be ok. He was still silent as a rock though. I missed him so much. His hood was still on. I was about to take it off but I stopped. The doctor entered the room.  
  
"We have arrived at Kislev."  
  
"Thank you for your help doctor."  
  
He walked out of the room as others came in. They wheeled Khanh out of the room and outside they went. After getting off the boat onto the wet sand of the shore I started to walk. Kislev looked really nice and peaceful. There was the sound of birds chirping about and the sound of the waves pounding up on the shore. Nightmare and Tina caught up to me. As we were all about to enter Kislev's main doors we saw something bizarre and scary... There was a priest lying on the ground. I ran over to him to check what had happened. He was slashed at continuously and bleeding. He was already dead. We looked up at the bloodstained door and opened it. The medical team stayed behind as Nightmare, Tina and I went in. All I could hear was utter silence...there was lifeless bodies everywhere. The walls were stained with blood. We drew our weapons and started to take a look around. After walking down the huge room I saw a hall to my left. We walked in and there we saw more dead people. Upon walking in I heard a sound. I looked at some of the lifeless bodies. It looked like their heads were almost turned all the way around. There were no signs of slashes or wounds on the bodies. I heard another sound and this time I couldn't ignore it. We turned around to see Heartless behind us. There was a new one this time though. It was climbing the wall quickly and looked like it had a long tongue. The little fiends in front of us started to attack. We were trapped in the hall with no way out. We all couldn't fight in this crowded narrow hall.  
  
"There's nothing we can do!"  
  
Nightmare turned to Tina.  
  
"Can you use your magic?"  
  
"No, it will hurt us also! They're too close to us!"  
  
With my back leaning on the wall I heard a slight click behind me and turned around. The wall was gone but out came a mysterious looking guy. He was wearing mostly red and black. The bottom half of his face was covered by a red mask. We all turned to stare at him but we had to do something against the Heartless before they killed us.  
  
"Behind me..." he said.  
  
We all crowded behind him but it seemed like Nightmare was about to die. The long-tongued Heartless jumped at him with incredible speed. It was just about to land on him until all the sudden it exploded and nothing was left behind. I turned to look at the mysterious man. It turns out he shot it with his rifle. This man had amazing accuracy. He reloaded quicker than anyone I've ever seen and shot each of them. Soon all of them were destroyed before they could even touch him.  
  
"Follow me..."  
  
There was a set of stairs leading down. He led us down the stairs, which then led us to a long narrow hall. The blue lights shined into my eyes. It seemed really clean and supple. This must've been a secret underground base. He turned around and looked at us quietly. Nightmare stepped up.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I am Truong, guardian of Kislev."  
  
He led us into a room, which appeared to be a medical room. It seemed really nice and tidy in here. There was a bed and a few simple machines. He walked over to the nearby bed.  
  
"Your friend, Khanh, can rest here and be treated."  
  
Tina walked up to him. I thought she was going to do something we would all regret.  
  
"How do you know about him?" she asked.  
  
"That doesn't matter. Bring him here and I'll get the doctor to try to help him."  
  
He walked out of the room and disappeared. Soon we got outside and told the medical team about everything. We brought him down into the medical room. Later, Truong returned with the doctor. He started to examine him. We all stood anxiously waiting for an answer. He walked over to me and it looked like he was calm.  
  
"We'll be able to treat him but it will take a while for us to get the necessary medicine. Don't worry though he will be fine here."  
  
I smiled as Tina hugged me. He was going to be just fine. I was really happy knowing that. After a moment of silence I soon realized that there was something we were missing.  
  
"Nightmare...Tina...there's a keyhole at Luca. It must be locked before the Heartless attack. We're going to need some help though without Khanh..."  
  
Truong walked over to me.  
  
"I can help you with that."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
He nodded and walked out of the room to wait for us to finish. After a few moments with Khanh I walked out of the room and we were off to Luca. Spending time away from him really made me worry... After arriving at Luca I saw lots of smoke in the air. Something bad was happening. Once we got to the city we saw what was happening. Hundreds of people were running and screaming. All of the buildings were on fire. Terror was all around us. I saw the Heartless killing everyone in sight. I had to go find the keyhole. Looking around I didn't know how I could find the keyhole in this huge city with all this chaos around. As I was running around a red glow seemed to catch my attention. I noticed as I was running around the glow kept on getting brighter and brighter. Sometimes it went down to small blur though. I kept on walking to different place until the glow got stronger. I didn't find anything though. Truong soon found me. He was shooting all of the distant Heartless with no problem.  
  
"Truong! Do you know anything about this?"  
  
I showed him the necklace. He looked at it carefully.  
  
"It's the glow. The stronger it gets the closer you are to the keyhole. The weaker the farther."  
  
I kept on walking to different places until the glow got really bright. A few Heartless fiends rose out of the ground in front of me blocking my path. I took out Oathkeeper and fought. All this worrying made me fight even worse. I destroyed all of them but they just kept on coming. Truong ran over to me.  
  
"I'll hold them off! Go lock the keyhole!"  
  
Looking around I didn't see it anywhere. I was getting frustrated. Something materialized next to me. It was the keyhole. Knowing this wouldn't be easy a whole group of Heartless emerged around me. Luckily Nightmare and Tina came. Taking the chance I ran over to the keyhole and locked it with Oathkeeper. A giant flash of light enveloped the city. After it was gone all of the Heartless vanished. The city was left in ruins though. Most of the people were already dead...I have to end this. I didn't want anymore pain...anymore death... 


End file.
